Hundreds of children from the Flamingo Heights informal settlement can now put their best foot forward thanks to a successful shoe drive by a Wynberg teen who is working hard to make a change in Cape Flats communities.
For several weeks now, Chaye Almacin and her family have been collecting second-hand shoes to help sukkeling families in the informal settlement near Lansdowne as part of their Youth Day Drive.
The tenacious teen who started her own organisation at just 17-years-old says she is working hard to fulfil her promise of uplifting less privileged communities.
The matric learner from Norman Henshilwood High School started the Instapho Teen Movement after her best friend died waiting for a heart transplant.
Kyle Laguma, 18, suffered from heart failure and while waiting for a heart transplant, Chaye watched as struggle to live the life of a normal teen.
This inspired her to reach out to youngsters to start the organisation with the aim of encouraging them to help each other.
Chaye and her family are known for feeding various communities and says while in Flamingo Heights, she met a three-year-old boy named Marlon Williams.
“He is very humble and doesn’t talk much and I noticed he didn’t have shoes,” she says.
“We have been feeding the community for over a year and noticed how many times the children came barefoot, so for Youth Day we reached out to friends and family and asked them to donate second-hand shoes that were in good condition to our cause.”
Last Wednesday, on Youth Day, Chaye and her family arrived with 360 pairs of shoes and a warm meal for the children of Flamingo Heights.
“They were so excited and some were very excited when they saw there were Nikes and Adidas takkies. We also had shoes for adults.”
Chaye says she is now working on a Women’s Day project where she hopes to distribute dignity bags to help teen girls.
“I will be collecting sanitary towels, deodorant, lotion and other items that I feel teen girls need,” she says.
If you would like to assist, email [email protected] or visit www.intsaphoteens.co.za.